Virat Kohli's Test average drops to lowest since 2016: Stats
What's the story
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli has been in a downward spiral in Test cricket.
Despite scoring a match-winning century against Australia in Perth, his Test average has fallen to its lowest since 2016.
The fall comes after he was out for a mere three runs in the first innings of the ongoing Brisbane Test.
His average now stands at 47.49, a far cry from its peak of 55.10 in 2019.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Kohli was once the only player with a batting average of over 50 in all three formats.
While his average is still remarkable in ODIs (58.18), he has struggled in Test cricket.
Since his Test century in the 2019 Day/Night Test against Bangladesh, Kohli has scored just 1,964 runs at 31.67 in the format. He has scored only three hundreds ever since.
Notably, Kohli averaged an incredible 66.79 (Tests) between January 2016 and December 2019.
Expert advice
Gavaskar's advice for Kohli to improve performance
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has also offered some advice to Kohli.
He suggested Kohli should avoid driving at balls outside the off-stump to break his pattern of dismissals. Notably, Josh Hazlewood dismissed Kohli in the same manner in Brisbane.
Gavaskar advised Kohli to study Sachin Tendulkar's innings from the 2004 Sydney Test, where he eliminated the cover drive and scored a double-century.
Optimistic outlook
Gavaskar's confidence in Kohli's potential comeback
Despite Kohli's recent dip in form, Gavaskar was confident that he can still turn his form around in the remaining matches of the series.
He stressed on the importance of mental discipline and control over shot selection during matches.
"What I think Kohli can do is maybe have a look at what Sachin Tendulkar did way back in 2004," Gavaskar said.
Performance analysis
Kohli's performance in comparison to other players
Considering Kohli's overall stature, Kohli has been a legend across formats. He has scored 9,166 runs from 121 Tests at 47.49. His tally includes 30 tons.
Among players with at least 9,000 Test runs, only Hashim Amla and Alastair Cook average lower than Kohli at this stage.
Notably, both Amla and Cook batted mostly in the top three positions, while Kohli has batted mostly at number four.